Do you believe you’ve lived before?

At a party I attended in 2006, I met a middle-aged man who claimed to have recovered memories of a past life. After dinner, he pushed back his plate of bread pudding and announced, “In a former life, I was a black woman. I clearly recall giving birth to a baby in the middle of a cotton field behind the railroad tracks.”

Earlier the same year, I met a woman known for her ability to help others
glimpse their past lives. She darted around the room, peering into people’s eyes and announcing what she saw: You were a fish. Yes, definitely a fish. And you – you were a horse. And you? You were a dancer in Russia, but you starved to death before you could make your first performance.”

I’ve also met a young man who very quietly recounts his own past-life story: “I dream about this place constantly,” he says. “I lived in a muddy, rutted village. We were always cold and usually. There was something wrong with my teeth; I was always in pain. There’s another man there – overweight and dirty and ragged. We work together, but at some point, he kills me in an argument over food.”

In 2005, ABC News covered the dramatic tale of James Leininger, a six year-old-boy believed by his family to be the reincarnation of James M. Huston, Jr., a World War II fighter pilot. A number of people, including Huston’s own sister, have been convinced by the vivid details Leininger seems to recall of his life and death.

Some people believe stories like these are proof of the reality of reincarnation. Others insist that “reclaimed memories” are nothing more than half-remembered dreams or vivid fantasies. While I don’t claim to have all the answers, I do know this: if you’re interested in exploring the idea of past lives, your tarot deck is a powerful tool for doing so.

Reincarnation:
A Secret Teaching of the Tarot?

Reincarnation has long been one of the esoteric tarot’s “hidden teachings.” Over the years, many writers have equated the Fool with themes of life, death, and rebirth. Kabbalistic systems often equate the Fool with Kether, the crown and “The Source of Life” – an assignment that suggest the Fool’s descent form the world of potential into the world of distilled physical forms.

Many readers equate the pack over the shoulder of the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Fool as the repository of memories and wisdom collected during previous lives. The Fool’s number – when he’s given a number at all – is usually zero, a number who’s shape suggests the idea of endless cycles. And, of course, there is the Majors, achieves the integration and enlightenment suggested by the World, and then begins the journey anew.

Reincarnation, then, would appear to be woven into the fabric of the modern esoteric tarot. The fact, combined with tarot’s unique ability to tap thoughts, memories, and stories long submerged in the subconscious, makes the deck a powerful tool for exploring past lives.

Gentle Words of Caution

If you plan to work with tarot as part of an effort to illuminate past lives, please keep the following cautions in mind:

• Past-Life exploration is a serious venture. Attempts to peer into
  previous lives should not be taken lightly. Proceed with this
  exercise only if you feel a compelling need to make a connection
  with a prior self.
• Not all past lives are pleasant ones. Repressed memories (whether
  forged in your current or your previous lives) have often been
  buried for a reason.

Past lives often don’t “perform on demand.” As a result of dreamwork or meditative regression, you may wish to explore a specific incarnation. The details uncovered by this exercise may relate to that existence…or come from another. Be open to whatever insights occur.Not everyone can be Helen of Try. While you may fancy having been the “face that launched a thousand ships,” you may connect with a fairly mundane prior existence. Fame is not necessarily an indicator of a successful incarnation. The insights you achieve as a lowly shopkeeper may be more important than those achieved in a more high-profile previous life.

Stepping Back

This process of reviewing a prior existence is simple but powerful. I recommend you perform this experiment only when you have a minimum
of one hour to pursue it; otherwise, you may rush through the steps and neglect important insights.

Step One: Preparation

Prepare for this reading by grounding and centering yourself using whatever
tradition you honor. Turn off cell phones, telephones, televisions, and other distractions. Do whatever must be done to avoid interruptions during this work. The experiment may be undertaken in any setting; however, you may find it useful to dim the lights, light candles, play meditative music, or burn incense. You should feel protected, empowered, and safe.

Step Two: Meditation on the Fool

From whatever deck you prefer, remove the Fool (or its equivalent). Once you are seated comfortably on the floor, take the card in both hands and focus on the illustration. Clear your mind. When distracting thoughts occur, acknowledge them, tell them, “I’ll deal with you later,” and return your attention to the card.

With time, your focus will soften or your eyes will grow heavy. When this occurs, allow your eyes to close – but maintain the image of the Fool card in your mind. Think of this image as a frame of film. When you feel ready, prompt your “inner projectionist” to play the card’s “movie” in reverse.

If you are working with the RWS Fool, the young man in the illustration will walk slowly backward. The clouds above him will retreat toward the distant horizon. The rose he carries will revert from blossom to bud. The white dog at his feet will cavort in reverse.

Keep your inner eye on the Fool as he shrinks from your field of view. When you can no longer see him, allow the image of the card to slowly fade to black.

Step Three: The Reading

Gently open your eyes. Replace the Fool in the deck and shuffle it. Beginning at the top, deal eight cards into an upright column: three cards
above, two crossed cards in the center, and three cards below.

Card One: Your Gender:
This card holds clues to your gender during a past life. Don’t obsess on the apparent gender of the character in the illustration. While this may be an indicator of your previous gender, the really important question to ask is this: what gender do you feel the card symbolically suggests?

Card Two: Your Family:
This card indicates something of importance about the family into which you were born. The Ten of Cups may suggest a large, happy, loving environment. The Justice card may point to a strict, sterile household where rules were more important than freedom. The Eight of Cups may suggest that something was missing from your home environment, and could be read as anything from “an absent parent” to “life as an only child.”

Card Three: Identity/Personality:
This card provides insight into your core identity during this previous lifetime. A Major in this position indicates a behavior, belief, or would view that dominated this existence. (The Lovers, for example, might indicate you spent this lifetime desperately seeking a soulmate…or that romantic relationships were always a challenge for you).

Cards Four and Five: Critical Situation:
These cards are a snapshot – a “Kodak moment,” if you like – of a critical situation that arose during your previous life. The two cards represent two energies, forces, or people whose interactions created a climax of life-changing dimensions. If you find the Eight of Wands paired with the Four of Coins, you might decide your previous self received a sudden insight (Eight of Wands) that prompted him to save food and money (Four of Coins) in preparation for a coming disaster.

Card Six: Response:
This card represents all-important response you made to the crisis defined by cards Four and Five. The Devil in this position might indicate that the fellow from you previous example hoarded his provisions for himself; the Six of Coins, though, might suggest that he endeared himself to others by freely sharing his resources.

Card Seven: Life Lesson:
This card symbolizes the life lesson you learned during this existence. Expect this card to refer, at least in part, to the crisis outlined in cards Four and Five and the response signified by card Six. The Tower in this position, for example, might indicate that, as a result of being led to help others, you learned to escape the prison of obsessive self-interest.

Card Eight: Influence on Your Present Life:
This card will reveal how the existence depicted in this spread colors your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and choices today. The King of Swords in this position could suggest that your cool handling of a past-life crisis prepared you to be a present-day leader. On the other hand, the Two of Wands might suggest today’s inability to stick with a course of action is rooted in self-doubt left over from a previous incarnation’s self-doubt.

Step Four: Follow-Up

Knowing about a past life is one thing; knowing how to use this information
to foster positive change and growth is another.

Once you have genuinely opened up yourself to the revelations of this
reading, collect all the cards, shuffle them, and draw three new cards, placing them in a simple horizontal line.

Card One: Honoring the Past:
This card suggests something you can do today as a means of acknowledging the work you performed in the past. The Four of Swords might prompt you to offer a prayer for the person you were, or the Star card might lead you to make a libation – a small offering of wine or water, poured out over an altar of small stones – in recognition of a former self.

Card Two: Putting Wisdom to Work:
This card suggests a way you can put your past life experience to work today. If you discover, for example, that you worked as a successful craftsman in the past, drawing the Eight of Coins might encourage you to take up a handicraft you could use to enhance present-day income.

Card Three: Looking Forward:
Reconnecting with past lives can be exciting, but your present life has lessons of its own to teach! This card, which hints at your current life’s agenda, will suggest a matter in the present that requires your attention. (Drawing the Hierophant, for example, might motivate you to schedule more time for deliberate spiritual practice.) Pondering how this card extends or builds upon your past life experience will be both satisfying and enlightening.

Additional Tips for Past-Life Explorers

·
Take some time to explore the insights suggested by this reading. Expect connections among cards to reveal themselves in subtle ways. One good way to expand and preserve the information you gather during this exercise is to translate it into a journal entry by writing a paragraph or two about each card.

• Want to explore a specific past life you’ve glimpsed before? Choose cards deliberately to represent what you do know; draw random cards to “fill in the blanks” and complete the picture.
• If some cards remain inscrutable, or if you feel uncertain about the information you receive, you can always supplement your insights with commentary cards: additional cards drawn to amplify or enhance the meaning of the original card. Place commentary cards to the right of the cards they modify; they will “extend” the story and allow you to glimpse additional details.
• Even if your current beliefs do not embrace reincarnation, this spread can still provide you with a great deal of insight. After “generating” a past life with the cards, try interpreting the story you’ve crated as though it were a symbolic dream. What truths about your present life might this “past-life
  experience” reveal.

From Llewellyn’s 2008 Tarot Reader by Mark McElroy

Vine and branch we’re connected in this world
of sound and echo, figure and shadow, the leaves
contingent, roots pushing against earth. An apple
belongs to itself, to stem and tree, to air
that claims it, then ground. Connections
balance, each motion changes another. Precarious,
hanging together, we don’t know what our lives
support, and we touch in the least shift of breathing.
Each holy thing is borrowed. Everything depends.

~~ Jeanne Lohmann ~~

North~East~South~West

The four directions are examined here within the context of the animal
totems. Each direction has its own special characteristic and meaning. When the animals are seen coming from or going to a particular direction, the depth of meaning can be enhanced. This is another way to tune into the subtle language of animals. Intuitions and general knowledge should help you in discerning this unique relationship.

North

Lessons of Using Your Potential ~ Magic: Manifestation ~ Element: Earth
Associated with the nobility of manifesting things from the true essence within you. Earth is symbolic of wisdom, patience, prosperity. Grounding aspects of mind/body/spirit. What you gain in knowledge and teachings now, will be used later. What seemed impossible will be enlightened with a new idea and thought. Listen to your intuitions and trust that will be transformed in accordance with your true inner pathway.

balance
teaching
abundance
knowledge
sacred wisdom
empathic intuition
inner treasures
thankfulness
drawing forth
gentleness
alchemy

East

Lesson of Responsible Relationships ~ Magic: Higher Vision and Prophecy ~ Element: Air

Spiritual vision opens up, creativity, inspiration, higher awareness, higher
intuitions, self-mastery through the use of will. Air links the Earth and Heavens which allows the ability to walk between the spiritual and physical worlds using dreams and visions. Be open to any revelations you have for they will give guidance. It is time for spiritual renewal, sometimes easy, sometimes painful, but always welcome for we need to grow within and without.

Quests
Visions
Dreams
Imagination
Inner Spiritual Renewal
Higher Compassion
Journeys
Emotions
Goals

South

Lesson of Life, Death and Rebirth ~ Magic: Creation ~ Element: Fire

Opportunities to change and manifest a new thought, idea or action. Fire is the element of heart, passions and love that help us regenerate our lives. Change must be met with strength and endurance – knowing you will move through this stage and awaken new, fresh and purified. All of life is a cycle, there are only transition periods that we must maneuver through. During such changes, we learn, grow and expand our self awareness.

Trust
Strength
Change
Playfulness
Self Sufficiency
Awakening the Inner Child
Overcoming Obstacles
Resurrection
Purification
Protection
Faith

West

Lesson of Adaptation ~ Magic: Shapeshifting ~ Element: Water

Physical and behavioral adaptations to the environment in order to survive. Water will always take the path of less resistance. Utilizing your energy to the fullest in whatever life requires is a hallmark of a true shapeshifter. Being able to adapt according to need in all areas of your life. This requires a shifting in consciousness to flow like water over a given circumstance. The animals have no qualms with changing, it does this without hesitation.

Healing
Intuition
Creativity
Illumination
Strength of Will
Communication
New Learning
Divination
Creativity

Information herein may be copied, distributed, displayed as long as Star Stuffs is cited as the author and web address is referenced. Star Stuffs: http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/directions.htm

feline goddess, cat-like Bast,
give me what I need at last.
scratch through mental knots that bind,
bring independence to my mind.
claw through ropes that hold me tight,
bring liberation to my life.
help me let go of what is old
and venture forth, reborn and bold.
help me live my life in truth.
Bast, I ask these things of you.

I wrote this meditation for those times when you feel like you need a clearer perspective on life. It is to be used while raining, or at least sprinkling.

I want you to go outside, to a quiet place, by a tree, bush or flowers. Find a space you feel naturally drawn to. Let the Earth guide you. I want you to notice everything around you. Look at the leaves of the trees and the blades of grass. Notice the droplets of watercascading all around you. Allow your mind to set aside your thoughts and just be in the moment…be a part of the Earth, a part of the trees, a part of the sky…you are one with all that is.

Close your eyes. Feel the rain on your skin. Just as the rain cleanses
the leaves, so let it cleanse your mind, body and spirit. Allow the life-sustaining water to recharge your spirit, just as it recharges every cell of every living thing. Be in the moment.

Allow your mind to receive the message you need. Do not try to analyze the message at this time; just allow your mind to open and receptive.

When you feel you are ready, give thanks to the spirits of the place,
the earth and the rain. Return inside. Contemplate the messages you received. If something doesn’t make sense right now, write it down in a journal for later analysis. For forth with your day, with your mind clear and refreshed, with new perspective.

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world
you may not always understand.
May the pain you have known and the conflict you have
experienced give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding
will always be there, even when you feel most alone.
May you discover enough goodness in others
to believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch,
a warm smile be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.
Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate,
and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire become part of you,
so that you may call upon them.

Remember,
those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours
are always a part of you, even if the encounters
were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter
that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
but instead place immeasurable value
on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty
and love in the world around you.

Realize
that each person has limitless abilities,
but each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard
may be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.

May
you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent on another’s judgments
of your accomplishments.
May you always feel loved.

~~ Source Unknown ~~

Long ago, the land was cold and dark, and ice covered the earth.
The Raven had no warm place to land and play, so he asked the
Sun to warm it up.

The Sun then rose upon the Land, and it warmed up, and the ice started to melt.

Upon this land a great River formed, which thousands of years later would be known as the Yu-Kon. And on this River was the village in which people lived, and it was called Eee-man-ghuk. The people were happy, and the River provided abundantly. But there was one taboo: that they could not go downriver. They could hunt, fish and play upriver, but downriver belonged to the Raven and no one could go there.

As things happen, there was a disagreement between two people, and the disagreement got worse, and the village divided. Those that were with one group lived on the Sunrise side, and those that agreed with the others lived on the Sunset side. And much hatred and enmity ensued between the two sides. Only the Shaman could speak to those on either side.

Two of the children, a boy named Pee-tuk, and a girl named Ma-tiq had been friends since childhood. They always played together, and were together all day. But when the families of the village split, they ended up on opposite sides. Still, their friendship persevered, and when Womanhood came to the girl and Manhood came to the boy, they were still friends and wanted to be together, but the village would not approve because they were from opposite sides.

Ma-tiq and Pee-tuk went to see the Shaman, and they told him they would like to leave the village and go some other place where they could be on their own. But the Shaman was a wise man and told them: “If you go upriver, they will follow you and slay you. There is no place upriver because before you get too far you get to the Land of Forever Ice. And you must not go downriver.”

“What is downriver?”, asked Ma-tiq.

“Downriver,” the Shaman explained, “is the land of the Raven. The Raven protects that land and does not allow anyone to go there, for he is jealous of it. When someone dies, we put the body on a raft made of logs and willows and send it downriver. The River takes it to the Big Water, and the body sinks, and is safe from the Raven and the animals. Once on the bottom, the spirit and body separate, and the spirit hides from the moon lest it be taken to live in the cold, silver moon.”

And the Shaman continued, “At the time of a new moon, when the
moon is dark and not powerful, the spirit of the dead person will
enter a salmon, and the salmon will swim up the River to eventually
be eaten by a woman. The spirit will enter her body, and allow her to have a baby with its spirit. You must not go downriver.”

So the lovers were very sad, and they tried to meet in secret now
and then, but their hearts ached for each other, and one day their
resolve steeled and they decided to take a boat and risk going
downriver. One night, when the moon was setting, and the owls
were singing, Ma-tiq and Pee-tuk met on the riverbank and took
a small boat and paddled downriver.

But the Raven saw them, because the Eye of the Raven sees all. And the Raven was angry and jealous, and planned his revenge.

Ma-tiq and Pee-tuk paddled downstream, and the River got wider and bigger, and the water started to taste bitter, and they came upon the Big Water that the Shaman had spoken about. After they entered the Big Water, the Raven flapped his wings and a strong gale blew, and the boat was taken away from shore. The waves were big, and the little boat was so small. Ma-tiq and Pee-tuq were very afraid and they feared for their lives. Meantime, the Raven squawked overhead, in glee and joy.

But the Sun took pity on the lovers. He shone stronger and stronger for them, and the waves did calm down, and the wind died out. After many days adrift on the boat, the sea was calm, the Raven could not be seen, and the boat drifted. Ma-tiq and Pee-tuq were very hungry and thirsty, for the little they had packed had run out. They could not paddle, for they could not see land, and did not know where to go.

But one day, as they weakened, a land did appear, and they paddled towards it. And in time came to a shore of beautiful birds, furry animals, fruit trees of every kind, and clear, crystal streams of pure water. The Sun shone on them and blessed them with many children.

And when Pee-tuk and Ma-tiq got old, and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered around them, the lovers would tell them that they came from the First People, and that they were from the village of Eee-man-ghuk, that the Sun blesses all and that the Raven now must eat what people throw away.

(© 2009, Ramon Gandia)

Swifts turn in the heights of the air;
higher still turn the invisible stars.
When day withdraws to the ends of the earth
their fires shine on a dark expanse of sand.

We live in a world of motion and distance.
The heart flies from tree to bird,
from bird to distant star,
from star to love; and love grows
in the quiet house, turning and working,
servant of thought, a lamp held in one hand.

~~ Philippe Jaccottet ~~
(The Selected Poems of Philippe Jaccottet,
translated by Derek Mahon)

The Sacred Web is intertwined
‘Twixt me and thee, and thee and thine.
We weave the strands, some are sticky,
Some are lovely, some are tricky.

They’re all connected, and reflected,
Often bringing the unexpected.
If we’re open to the learning,
We will find for what we’re yearning.

Unrejected, and respected,
Love and Laughter, and Connected.

~~ Source Unknown ~~

Medford, OR:

Clan of the Triple Horses Grove in Medford, Oregon shared a meaningful, joyful Ostara ritual blessed with the presence of our own adopted bunny mascot and Windy, our Seer Rainsplash’s pony who embodies Rhiannon and Epona for us.

We blessed eggs with our intent and made offerings to our Clan’s needfire in Rainsplash’s pasture and were blessed with light rain to send our offerings up in gentle smoke. A delicious potluck ended a perfect Spring afternoon.

Two of our active members headed up the 2009 Arbor Day Celebration. Our theme was riparian planting to shade Bear Creek’s waters so it will be healthier for fish. Six Ponderosa Pines, Six Cedars and one Oregon Ash were planted on the west bank. We had numerous speakers presenting information on the subject, a guided nature walk plus a city council member presenting information on Oregon’s 150 birthday. Oh and the Mayor read the official Arbor Day proclamation. Two local schools presented their environmental projects for public viewing. Parking was limited and it was gratifying to see many people bike to the site. One tv station and the local newspaper
covered the event. All in all, it was a good day for trees and fish.

Please contact us for full details:
medford.grove@reformed-druids.org

Seasonal blessings,
Clan of the Triplehorses Grove

Eureka, CA:
The Mother Grove has experienced a growth spurt since Imbolc, with several new families joining us. We began this past Sunday (April 26th) to meet outdoors and held our Beltane picnic and ritual at Sequoia Park in Eureka. It was a rather brisk day which put a slight damper on our activities, but everyone enjoyed being together. We are however looking forward to a much more warmer experience at Midsummer.

Since over 2/3s of the members of the MG are also Reiki practitioners, we have begun to hold monthly “Reiki Shares”, where members give each other Reiki treatments and where we also send long distance energy to other RDG members who request it, and general well being energy to our surrounding community. It only takes one small candle to dispel the darkness. We’re lighting a bonfire!

One of our projects is to have a songbook put together for use at the Gathering. In addition to the OMS “Official Bard”
Chris Burbick, we have had several musicians join our local
Grove. We are also going to be exploring the magical uses of
music.

The Mother Grove is pleased to announce that we have entered into a mutual recognition agreement with the RDNA Mother Grove at Carleton College (Northfield MN), the result of several months of correspondance and a few phone calls between Archdruids Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear and Daniel Lessen. This relationship might best be described as akin to a sister-cities relationship, but that’s just our opinion. 🙂

All in all, it’s been quite a fruitful cycle for the MG, and we
see it continuing to be so as the year unfolds…

In Gaia,
Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear, Senior Archdruid RDG &
Ellis Arseneau, OMS Patriarch
Contact:
eureka.grove@reformed-druids.org

Colorado Springs, CO:
Circle of Stone held their annual Calan Mai Ritual on April 30th. Celebrated by a blazing fire, warmth and good cheer, while invoking the Goddess Blodeuwedd. The grove shared Her story and decoded Her myths while harmonizing with the change of the season from winter to summer.

While speaking of ritual, Circle of Stone will be holding their annual Alban Heruin Ritual on June 21st, noon at Helen Hunt Falls. Plans are still tentative at this time.As usual dress for the
weather and bring a a light dish to share.

The Celtic Study group is doing well on the Ogham lessons and will be studying more in depth as the summer progresses, the next meeting convenes on May 18th, 2009 in the picnic area of North Cheyenne Canon.

Business news: Circle of Stone has implemented their constitution and by-laws and incorporated it into the grove.

http://www.circleofstone.ning.com
Arch Druid Dyddgu can be reached at
coloradosprings.grove@reformed-druids.org

Additional links:
www.myspace.com/druidingreen
www.home.comcast.net/~nature_speaks

 

Middleburg, FL:
We have been busy this quarter here in Middleburg, FL. We welcomed spring here with a lot of fanfare and flames. I won’t say it went without as planned. The ritual was wonderful. We gave thanks to the gods and to the earth in good fashion. We made offerings of wine and bread to feed the gods as they looked down upon us. Everyone within the grove brought something to ease their ties of negativity of the past. These we offered to the flames and began the year anew. Everyone left feeling better than they entered the circle which was great for this old bunch. Remember i mentioned the flames, We seemed to create more than we hoped to. While we were proceeding to the circle, each of us were cleansed and welcomed using burning Sage. All went well until we discovered the arms of my brand new robe were a tad too long. I forgot how quick Cotton ignites with burning embers of Sage…..You all can imaging the surprise of myself and the grove. Luckily no real damage to myself and the robe. After we closed the ritual, another learning experience…

You don’t try to walk in a robe that has not been taken up yet. We had a lot of rain the day before and the ground was slushy to say the least. For some reason i managed to fall over myself walking back to the house. Can I say DUHHHHH! I learned several lessons that night! We did manage to enjoy the food with no injuries.

We will be holding our Beltaine ritual this Saturday evening. I am sure something will happen to keep us laughing all evening long. After all with our maladies, humor is the best med we have.

May you never thirst,

Penda, Archdruid
Contact: middleburg.grove@reformed-druids.org

Grove of the Manzanita is looking forward to its first official gathering, on May 1st. I have been busy planning our first degree ordinations for several prospective Druids, including my life partner. We have planned a public Beltane celebration for May 2nd, which will include a ritual, seasonal meditation, Maypole dancing, drumming circle and feasting. Most of our prospective grove-mates are college students (me included) and are focused on finals; our future celebrations be after school is out.

Update: I wanted to give a short update. Grove of the Manzanita held our first official gathering tonight, and ordained two people to the first degree. It was a short and sweet ceremony, with coffee used as the Waters-of-Life. (For some of us, life would not be complete without the Java.)

We made plans for future gatherings, discussed what we all want to get out of our grove, along with socializing and feasting. It was good.

Our fledging web presence is at: http://www.myspace.com/manzanita_druids

Blessings, Tiffiny /|\
ArchDruid, Grove of the Manzanita, RDG
Contact: anderson.grove@reformed-druids.org

Although it’s not a “Grove”, the NoDaL still qualifies as an “autonomous collective” of the Reformed Druids of Gaia, and consists of all the 3rd Degree Druids therein. The purpose of the NoDaL is to provide a space for Archdruids of the RDG Groves and Proto-Groves to discuss the many aspects of running a group of Druids, and provide advice and support for each other. They also act as the “legislative” branch of the RDG – creating policy as needed.

The Nemeton is currently in a process of reviewing and revising “The Druid Path” cdrom self-study course. It is anticipated that new version will be not one but three separate course studies, each one building upon the previous ones (in other words, Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced classes). This process is expected to take much of the summer, with the final revision published probably in time for Imbolc 2010. Nemeton members request that anyone interested in having input please share their concerns or suggestions. You may write the NoDaL at scribe@reformed-druids.org

Philadelphia, PA:
Currently meeting in the lush emerald woods of Fairmount Park in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection (commonly know as Philadelphia), Aelvenstar Grove honors Mother Earth. The grove was formally founded Beltaine, 2004 and is a proto grove of the Reformed Druids of Gaia/Order of the Mithril Star and the Reformed Druids Of North America. In addition, we are associated with other pagan organizations such as Per NTR
Sesen and Temple Harakhte.

Looking to our ancestors and the ancients, Aelvenstar Druids respect all life and receive inspiration from Nature and the heavens. We believe it is the natural state of Mankind to live in harmony with Nature. and that it is our responsibility to respect and protect the Earth. As activists, it is our responsibility to do our part collectively and individually to heal the environment.

Emphasizing development through the practice of Druidcraft, focus is placed upon personal growth through the development of body, mind, and spirit. Through study, discussions, rituals, retreats, fellowship, and meditation, a spiritual framework is provided through which Druids may further develop themselves.

Aelvenstar Grove holds eight celebrations a year, on the solstices, equinoxes, and cross quarter festivals. We sometimes meet on other occasions for outings and initiations. Online meetings and initiations are held too, as some members live a distance away.

We welcome new members of all backgrounds who love nature and seek spirituality permeated in the divine beauty and wonder that surrounds us. Nature is groovy!

Courses available: Reformed Druidism 101

Website:
http://www.aelvenstargrove.org

Email: philadelphia.grove@reformed-druids.org

For more information about Reformed Druidism, visit
http://reformed-druids.org

Live Oak , FL:
Greetings! White Horse ProtoGrove is sorta in idle mode at the moment………….I am back at college working on my LPN & doing pre-requisites for my RN at the moment & have been very busy……..

Blessings,
Ann Feather

Contact: sebring.grove@reformed-druids.org

Roots Rocks and Stars
RDG “Proto-Grove”

Albany, OR:
Roots Rocks and Stars currently consists of three humans and two canine companions. We people are all college students, one in natural resources, one in Literature, and one in history. We live together in a small apartment in Corvallis Oregon’s north end. We are all ethnically descended from British Isle and French folks (some Native Canadian/American ancestry as well) and this colors our rituals. We are primarily dedicated to Cernunnos, Epona, Brigid, and Cerridwen but actually tend toward an abiding devotion to nature and spirit without too much investment in names and images. Our rituals tend to involve home-cooking and plenty of beer.

Contact: albany.grove@reformed-druids.org

No news this season from:

TSU

San Marcos, TX USA
RDG “Proto-Grove”
tsu.grove@reformed-druids.org

Thorn & Rose
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
RDG “Proto-Grove”

calgary.grove@reformed-druids.org

As of today 422 Druids have registered with the RDG:

31 members are initiated Second Order Druids
2 members are eligible for ordination into the Third Order
21 members are ordained Third Order Druids (Clergy)

During Earrach YGR 03, we experienced a net membership gain of 14

Total Groves chartered: 9
Total North American Members: 381
Total Members in CELTIC Lands: 11
Total International Members: 38
Total Countries represented: 12

The Druids Egg — 1 Samradh YGR 03 — Vol. 7 No. 3

NEXT ISSUE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON
Lughnasadh – 1 Foghamnhar YGR 03

WANT TO JOIN THE REFORMED DRUIDS?
http://www.reformed-druids.org/joinrdg.htm

WANT TO DONATE TO THE REFORMED DRUIDS? http://rdg.mithrilstar.org/donate.htm

Published four times each year by The Mother Grove of the
Reformed Druids of Gaia
Cylch Cerddwyr Rhwng y Bydoedd Grove
Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear,
Editor-in-Chief / Webmaster
OMS Patriarch El Arseneau
Eureka, California USA
“An autonomous collective of Reformed Druids”
Copyright © 2009

No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced
by anyone for any purpose
without the express written permission of the
Editor-in-Chief, Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear, Senior Archdruid, RDG

Send letters, submissions to druidsegg-owner@yahoogroups.com
There is no guarantee that your submission will be published.
All submissions become the property of RDG.

All images are believed to be public domain, gathered from around the internet over the years. and/or sent to us by friends. However, if there is an image(s) that has copyright information associated with it and the copyright holder wishes for it to be removed, then please email
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The Mother Grove wishes all of you a most inspiring Imbolc, a joyous Oestara, and abundant blessings throughout the season!